1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and system for relaying communications from a first party to a second party through a third party. The invention is more particularly related to a method of relaying communications by the third party only for authorized users having valid accounts. The invention is more particularly related to converting, by the third party, a received electronic mail message to a facsimile which Is transmitted to a facsimile machine when the electronic mail message originates from an authorized user and contains a valid authorization code.
2. Discussion of the Background:
Internet electronic mail (email) provides an easy, inexpensive, and fast manner of transmitting communications. However, there are many people throughout the United States and the world who do not have access to an internet electronic mail account or who are not able to check their internet account while traveling. Many of these people without internet electronic mail accounts do have access to a facsimile machine which is capable of receiving facsimile communications.
In order to utilize the receiving party's facsimile machine yet still take advantage of the essentially free internet email, there currently exists both commercial services and free services to which internet email can be sent which will convert the email to a fax which is forwarded to the receiving party's fax machine. There is a file available through the internet which explains how to fax from the internet and is entitled "FAQ: How can I send a fax from the Internet?". This FAQ (answers to Frequently Asked Questions) is currently in version 1.5, dated Feb. 23, 1996, is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.northcoast.com/savetz/fax-faq.html and is authored by Kevin M. Savetz.
While conventional internet to fax services allow a facsimile to be transmitted at a much lower cost than a conventional long distance facsimile communication, the inventor has noticed that a problem exists in that there is no simple yet secure manner of billing users to forward a received electronic mail message by facsimile.